Lock for prepayment-meters and similar devices.



H. H. NEWMAN & J. J. PERRIGK. LOCK FOR PREPAYMENT METERS AND SIMILAR DEVICES. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 23, isos.

955,825. Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

/ Il Illlhllniltn'. IIIIEIIIIIIHIIIIII 7% l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD II. NEWMAN, OF PATERSON, AND JOI-IN J. FERRICK, OE PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

LOCK FOR PREPAYMENT-METERS AND SIMILAR DEVICES.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed October 23, 1908. Serial No. 459,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IIownnn I'I. Nnw- MAN and JOHN J. Fnnnron, citizens of the United States, residing at Paterson and Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Prepayment-Meters and Similar Devices; and we do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a lock to be attached to a prepayment gas meter which is designed to be opened by a collector for the parties supplying the gas, and operated to insure a certain amount of gas supply, in the future, for which prepayment is made. The lock is designed to provide a safe means for preventing the turning on of the meter for a predetermined amount, without value having been received therefor, the lock being designed to securely cover and protect the operating mechanism.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a mechanism for the prepayment device that has an automatic stop at predetermined points in its rotation so that certain amounts of gas are checked off by the party turning the prepayment device.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the lock, and Fig. 2 is a section of the same shown in conjunction with the prepayment device on a gas meter. Fig. 3 is a face view of the upper portion of the lock with part of the lock casing removed to more fully illustrate the operation of the device, and Fig. 41 is a horizontal section of a portion of the lock for the prepayment device and showing one species thereof with a key for its operation.

The device is attached to a gas meter 10 which has, on the inside thereof, any usual form of prepayment device, but the kind usually employed consists of a screw 11 which is rotated to cause a collar 12 to travel longitudinally along it, and to have resting thereon, in a groove 13, a block 14 held against rotation and having a pointer 15 to register on a scale not shown, to indicate the amount of gas still to be delivered by the meter.

A shaft 16 projects from the prepayment device into and through the casing of the meter into a easing 17 of the lock, the casing having an open front covered by a lid 18 which is secured in a manner hereinafter described. A flange or rib 19 forms a seat for the cover 20 of the prepayment lock, this cover 2O having slots 21 through which screws 22 are passed to regulate the height of the lock plate and its lock, for purposes to be described hereinafter.

On the end of the shaft 16 is a gear-wheel 23 and a gear 24 is secured to a hub 25, which hub passes up into a sleeve 26 which incloses any suitable locking mechanism for holding the gear-wheel 24 against rotation, except when operated by a suitable key or combination. The regulation of the height of the gear-wheel through the slots 21 and the screws 22 is to permit the use of different sized gear-wheels 23 to give value in gas for different amounts, or to give different quantities of gas for the same amount, aceording to the price of the commodity.

The lid 1S has hooks 27 which fit under a rib 28 and secure the top edge of the lid in place, and a suitable lock 29 with a latch 30 engages the keeper 31 to hold the lid 18 in place. The portion 32 0f the lid is unbroken and covers, securely, the front of the lock for the prepayment part of the meter, as will be evident from Figs. 1 and 2.

Any suitable device can be placed in the casing 26 of the prepayment lock, but we prefer to form the casing with tumblers 33 which slide in the usual way of tumbler locks to bring their openings in register to permit the rotation of the arbor 25, the key 34 causing this registration and the slots 35 of the key 34 passing in through the slots 36 of the casing 26 causesa locking of the key, when the key is turned slightly, so that the key cannot be withdrawn except when the slots 35 come in register with the slots 36, and then the springs 37, behind the tumblers, act to eject the key 34C far enough to have thel full width of the key beyond the slots 35 in the slots 36. The key cannot be turned again unless it is first pushed in against the pressure of the springs 37 to permit the slits in the key to register with the edge of the lock. This half rotation of the key is designed, in the machine, to deliver gas to the amount of twenty-five cents. This disengagement of the key at each half rotation gives a check or a notice to the collector When he has turned the key su'liieiently to deliver twenty-five cents Worth of gas, so that it' a customer gives him one dollar for gas to be delivered Within the nextmonth, he inserts the key four times and at each insertion gives it a one-halt' turn.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is l. The combination With a register, of a lock, a easing in Which the lock is mounted, an operative Connection between the lock and the register, the lock being adapted to be operated by a key, means in the lock for ejecting the key at predetermined points in its rotation, the casing having an open side, a lid for the open side of the casing, and a lock on the lid.

2. The combination with a. register, of a casing, a lock mounted in the casing, an operative connection between the lock and the register, a key for operating the lock, the casing having an open side, a rib on the inside edge of the casing, a lid, hooks on the lid to engage the rib, and a lock to engage the casing on the end opposite the rib and hooks to secure the lid in place.

3. The combination With a register, of a casing, a lock mounted in the casing, an operative connection between the lock and the register, a key for operating the lock, means inthe lock for ejeeting the key at predetermined points in its rotation, the casing having an open side9 a rib on the inside edge ot' the casing at one end of the open side, a lid, hooks on the lid to engage the rib, and a lock on the end of the lid opposed to the hooks, the lock being adapted to engage the casing to secure the lid in place.

In testimony, that We claim the foregoing, We have hereunto set our hands this tWentyfirst day of October 1908.

HOVARD H. NEWMAN. JGHN J. FERRIGK.

lVitnesses lVALmR R. MCNAB, F. A. EATON. 

